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William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry (1724-1810), Rake and patron of the turf

Sitter associated with 12 portraitsNotorious gambler, rake and stud owner. From his youth, Queensberry was famed for his escapades. He was first known on the turf in 1750, the year that the Jockey Club was instituted. By careful purchase and informed breeding he developed an unsurpassed stable, taking unusual care of jockeys and stablemen as well as his horses. A friend of the the Whig M.P. Charles James Fox and the young Prince of Wales, the older Queensberry was one of the elite gang who passed their time, decadently, in drinking and gambling.